Originally Posted by
bzcat
Ontario passenger service is down because of the economy (duh!). BUR and SNA passenger counts are down too. ONT is not unique.
The LA Times also completely short change LAWA's effort to develop Ontario as a cargo hub (UPS is the largest airline in ONT), and the fact that ONT has high operating cost because it is a large airport (physical size). It's not like SNA or BUR, which are only a few city blocks long. ONT is a huge and it cost money and lots of people to keep it running.
As to rationalization, IE politicians likes to point fingers but if they really do have a plan to turn ONT into a major international gateway airport, I would like to hear it... The City of Ontario and San Bernadino County have under-invested in transportation infrastructure for years and there is no reason to believe they know what they are doing. Southwest San Bernardino county and northwest Riverside County combined is one of the largest metro area in the US... but it is so lacking in public transportation, the IE ranks 2nd to last in mobility for large metro areas. Does San Bernardino county have a plan to build light rail to link ONT to well... anywhere? Metrolink tracks pass right by ONT and LAWA had asked about Metrolink service before but San Bernardino County did not want to fund it. Bus service in IE is a joke. And for most people, ONT is a long drive away. So why would people in other parts of LA region chose ONT when getting to BUR is so much easier?
It's the economy. ONT is actually closer to a major rail line (Amtrak and Metrolink), but not close enough to make a real impact (it's too far away from major urban center of LA and there's no shuttle bus between the rail stations and the airport). LAX is woefully short of transportation options other than taxi and the occasional Flyaway bus, but it's closer to more centers for tourists and businesspeople and, most critically, has a lot more flights, including international ones. I've flown into Ontario several times, since I have relatives in the area, but wouldn't use it in order to get to L.A. in most circumstances. The airport itself is a bit spartan (e.g., NO places to eat or drink outside of security if you're meeting someone), but it's a lot less hectic than LAX and parking is cheaper. Not much in the way of eateries, lounges, etc. once inside security, but more than BUR. BUR is nice, but in most cases there are far fewer flight options than even ONT, and fares generally higher.
Until the economy improves, including profit margins of airlines (yeah, more fees), I don't see the fortunes of ONT turning around anytime soon. The Inland Empire is in a deeper recession than other parts of So Cal.
Remember, years ago there was a big push to make Palmdale the site of a new, bigger, improved LAX? So Cal has lots of airports. Lots of choices. And ONT is kind of out there.